Steering wheel and switch assembly



ETsT AVAELABLE c0P I A ril 27 1926. 1,582,088 W.- H. SHANKS STEERING WHEEL AND swiTcn ASSEMBLX Filed Sept. 29, 1924- 2 sh ets-Sheet 1 BEST AVMLABLE COP.-

April 27 1926. 1,582,088

w. $HAN! STEERING WHEELfAND SWITCH'ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 29', 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I *B Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

r MNLAB WILLIAM H; SHARKS, OF FRANKFOBT, KENTUCKY.

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" Application fled September 29,, 1924.. Serial 1T0. 740,587.

Z '0 all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, WILLIAM a citizen of the United States, residing at Frankfort, in the county of Franklin, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Wheels andSwitch Assemblies, of which the fol: lowing is a description, reference being had tofthe accom anying drawing and to the figures of re erencemarked thereon.

An ob1ect of the present invention is to 7 provide the steering wheels of automobile vehicles with a switch which may be used to control the circuit on the automobile. Another objectis the provision of an integral receiving member on the wheel to contain and protect the elements of the switch.-

- 'A further object is to dispose the switch in a protected position, and with its operative button carried at a point Within easy normal access to the finger of the operator 7 of the automobile.

v Another object of the invention is the PIOVlSlOn of a SWltClPIBCGlVlIlg construction which constitutes apart of the spidernof a separable steering wheel, and which'may be'appliec'l'to existing constructions without the necessity of replacing'the' entire steerec in wheel.

ith these and other ob] ects in view, the

i invention-residesin the novel arrangement and construction of the parts, and will be more fully described'hercmafter, and par steering wheels- 'tieularly pointed outin the claims. In'the accompanying drawingsare set-'' forth exemplifications of the inventiong to' illustrate the application of the principle of the invention to present-day types of bottomplan view with a diagrammatic re resentation of aper nissible' circuit use in connection therewith;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line'2-2 l Figure 1 is a Fig. "3 15? view, similar to Fig. 2, show ing-a fragment of a modified-construction;

at 6 by way of convention.

7 which is adapted to be clamped and access. to; t

in connection with Fig used in separable steering wheels,'and the arm 3 is of the construction according to my invention. These several arms are connected to the rim 1 by the screws 4, which, pass through the downwardly bent end members 5 of the respective arms. The central portions of these arms are held tog'ether by washers or bushings represented 68 Referring more pa :iculizrl to the arm 3, as shown in Fig. 2, it wi be seen that the arm is comprised'of the innrpprtion' y the washers or bus ings on the wheel post. 7 The run of the arm indicated at" 8 has a passa e 9 extending along 'it, from a int 10 ad acent the clamp bushing, at which .it opens to the outsider" Near the steering wheel rim 1, this arm carries achumber ll 7 formed with a pocket 12, which is closed by a cover 13 held in position by'screws 14, The chamber is formed with an aperture'15 at its bottom to ermit the assage (if-the button" 16 of a. t reew'ay switch 17 "of the single, buttontype. This switch may be of any of the well known construction 8 1d its details of assembly form no part of-niy inventionz suflice it to say, that it operates" to close alternately one or the other of two circuits, -'upon the succemive actuation of the sin le push button.

It'wibe noted that thelocation or this button on the under side of the arm brings it within easy reach of the -finger of the 3 automobiledriver, and at the same time, it i is 'in a large measure protected 8 ainst accidental movement. The cover- 13 is formed with'a water-{tight joint'on the chamber-12', sothat drivih 'rains cannot find entrance Q6 lie switch. Thisassuresthe a switch against short-circuiting from such causes, and the aperture 15' on the. bottom is prevented by its position from admitting a stream of water into thevsaid chamber 1). Referring to .the wiring diagram shown 1, the three wiresleading -fro vthe switch 17 are carried j through a hollow arm 3 to the opening 10. From this, they are carried down the line 1 of the steering shaft, thence to the dash board, where they. are connected, for ex-- ample, in the manner shown. To prevent sag g of the wires, a thumb screw with, a broad head or the" like which will revent cutting the insulation is passed t ugh the lower portion of the arm as shown at BESTAVABLABLE coin Q Leas es .9: ifauitable. clips I8 may be provided to secure the wires to the steering, shaft and associated members. On the dash board, ,the three wires are connected as follows:

Wire 19, v;hicli' is the power wire, is led .ihrongh a switch to the power main 21. of the electrical system of the automobile. Wires 22, 23 which are alternately energized by means of the switch, lead to the two lighting wires .24. of the automobile system: 24. being .the ffull l ght and the dim light circuit. passing through the respective lflllbfi and leadingto the ground at 26.

It will thus be seen that the switch is in 20 mobile. The ready access to the switch but- 'ton in this positionaccording to this invenrehicle with both ham reality shunted aroundthe ordinary dash switchrepresented at 27, and forms a very suital'le substitute forthe latter in dimming and relighting the headlights f-the auto- .ftion, enables the. operator to dim his head- ;hghts while; retainii is cyc'sjfrom the'pa ritical' moment I v Z ;I1r;l -ig- 3.,1 hay hown a, fragmentary .ction .ot' a solid steering. wheel, in which n \ehicleat the most spokes and bubfare formed integrally, 1 lnithis construction also,the-passage 9 in the arnris extended. to the interior of the I passed from the switch through thespoke 'lpush button. 16 passes through: the bottoln wall'of the chamber 12.

- and the hollow steering shaft to the dash board ,without being exposed along the length of the steeringshaft. A further modification, consists in that the f cover .13

isapplied on the top of the spoke, and the I :"In- Figures 4, ll-and 6, I have shown a construction in which the spoke is formed.

.from sheet metal bent into the necessary ubular shape, as shown in cross. section in @Figwfii; The-outer end of the spoke is --.formed with the ehambeFIQ, which is like- *wise punched up from a single blank, and has its end wallformed withthe inwardly extending lugs 12 to receive the fastening screws. for the cover 13 and the outwardly nub '.so that the. connecting wires maybe,

limited in details of arrangement and construction to the specific modification shown. but that any changes may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims.

Haring thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: i

1. In a steering wheel, a rim, a hub, spider arms connecting said in and said hub, one of said arms being lollaw'and having adjaccnt its outer fi'xi a chamber open down- \vardly, a switch block in said chamber, means to hold said block in said chamber, and substantially seal said chamber against the entrance of water, and electrical conductors leading from said switch block and located within 'said' hollow arm,

In a steering wheel, a rim, a hub spider arms connecting said rim and said hub, one

of said arms being hollow and having its cavity enlarged adjacent .tl1 e rim end 'to form a chamber "itha dowm'sfardly directed opening, a switch block introduced into said chamber and removable therefrom a unit, and means to secure said block in said chamber. and'substantially exclude water,

from said chamber.

3. A spider'arin for the steering wheel of a vehicle formed of a folded sheet of metal with a central whe -conduit, with an inner end portion tobe clamped upon the steering column anthan outer end portion folded 'to form aswitch-recei'i ing pocket:

.open at the bottom, said conduit and said outer end portion presenting a continuous closed top, the'extreme end portion of said arm being folded downward to close tlieiend of said pocket and then bent ontwardat a substantial angle to form an ear for attachnient'to the steering wheel rim.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

wnmian n. SHANKQ 

